The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-12
TIE LAW VINnInATEn.

TIE LAW INDICATED.
The execution of the four Anarchist muir
derers at Chicago yesterday was memorable
vindication of law and triumph of justice.
Circumstances have made the case remarkably
conspicuous. and it will figure in history as
one of the notable events of the century.
The individuals who have just paid the penal
ty Of their crimes with their lives are of little
consequence, but the principles involved were
very important. Spies, Fielden. Parsons and
Fischer were, in the eye of the law only COM
mon murderers. The principle involved was
whether American law was strong enough to
convict and punish murder committed M
der the pretense of propagating anarchistic
doctrines The event has shown that it ISL
In the first real contest between law and an
archism in the United States the law has
completely triumphed. 1t is victory for
American ideas and institutions not less i'm
portant or significant in its way than the sup
preston of the rebellion. 1t was a new and
dangerous issue; it had to be met, and has
been met manfully and without finching.
Anarchists and murderers at home and abroad
will heed the lesson, and much as they may
boast threaten they will not forget it.
The world must learn that though this is
free country the law is paramount. It is
worthy of remark that while the attorneys
and friends of the condemned men were I'M
firing in their efforts during several mouths
to break down or break through the law, they
did not succeed The law was sustained at
every point ard INDICATED at last.
For the rest, there has been much to regret
and censure in the treatment of the case and
the criminals. Both have been given far too
much sensational notoriety and publicity.
The men executed yesterday were tried, con-
victed and sentenced as murderers. They
should have been treated suoh from the
moment of their convictiou-not as Anarch-
ists or political agitators, but as murderers
and convicted felons Instead Of this, they
were almost made heroes Of. The sheriff and
his deputies. and the reporters and CORE
spondents of the press, have We'd in this work.
The criminals enjoyed their notoriety. it
fattered their egotism. and sustained their
hope of finally coming out victorious over the
law and heroes in the eyes of their sympa-
thizers. All this has been very disgusting.
and has had mischievous and demoralizing
effect. It was pandering to the rabble,
and TO base, low ideas It was in
furious to the dignity. and degrading
to the character OF the law. The scenes
preceding and attending the execution were
Ia Lace han diccy1oafu1 chaxz 1;,-
position to treat the convicts as something
different from common murderers, and to
surround them and their crime with
false glamour of popular interest.
This conspicuous exhibition of indecency
calls for reform. The laws of Illinois
so as to prevent repetition of such events
It is the duty of the law and its ministers to
see that convicted felons are not made heroes
of, and that the soft-pated, maudlin people,
to be found in every community, out of whom
cranks, and fanatics, and criminals come, are
not fed upon the very stuff that would infame
their vanity and conceit Not only in the
Chicago case. but in the case of all convicted
murderers, there is like disregard of the
decencies and proprieties. Murderers who
die by the law are, almost invariably, sur
rounded with halo that may and doubtless
does, dazzle the shallow minds of some people
L is very noticeable that the criminals who
are tried by Judge Lynch's court are never
surrounded with any false or misleading
lights. Nowherein the world are such scenes
to be witnessed over the conviction and
execution of murderers as in this country
They do not permit such things in England
or in Europe. There a man who has Justly
forfeited his life to the law is dead to society
from that time, and the only thing known of
him afterwards is the fact, simply stated, that
the execution has taken place as appointed
The press of the country could and ought to
take the lead in inaugurating a reform in our
methods.
Form raOroaS in an ;pfarior fo1y,, 80 To-